Short answer: Three magicians have won America's Got Talent: Mat Franco (2014), Shin Lim (2018), and Dustin Tavella (2021). Two have won Britain's Got Talent: Richard Jones (2016) and Harry Moulding (2025). In the 2026 season of AGT, magicians took second and third place: Geno Ploeger was runner-up and the Korean magic group Hundred Fingers finished third. Meanwhile, Penn & Teller: Fool Us remains the show where magicians try to fool the experts rather than win votes.
AGT 2026: magic's biggest year on the show
The Season 21 finale aired on September 23, 2026. Singer and guitarist Nene Royal won, but two of the top three acts were magicians.
Geno Ploeger: runner-up
Geno Ploeger started magic as a child after his grandfather showed him a card trick, and was inspired to audition after watching Mat Franco win AGT in 2014. He previously interned for Franco, and the two performed together during the Season 21 finale. His fast, high-energy card work won over the judges from his first audition. For Arizona viewers, he's a local story: an Arizona-based magician who went from local TV spots to the AGT final.
Hundred Fingers: third place
Hundred Fingers is a group of ten Korean magicians from Seoul, led by Yu Hojin, a FISM Grand Prix winner who first appeared on AGT in Season 17. Their synchronized card manipulation earned two Golden Buzzers from Howie Mandel, one at the auditions and another in the live quarterfinals, sending them straight to the final. Mandel even said he would fund their Las Vegas show himself. Their success is a spotlight on the world-class magic coming out of South Korea.
Inspired by their card flourishes and manipulation? Browse our card magic collection.
Every magician who has won America's Got Talent
| Season | Year | Magician | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 2014 | Mat Franco | The first magician to win AGT; charismatic, comedic close-up and stage magic |
| 13 | 2018 | Shin Lim | Silent, visual card magic set to music; also won AGT: The Champions |
| 16 | 2021 | Dustin Tavella | Storytelling magic built around his family and personal experiences |
Other AGT magicians who made history
- Oz Pearlman: the mentalist who finished third in Season 10.
- Jon Dorenbos: the former NFL player turned magician who finished third in Season 11.
- Piff the Magic Dragon: comedy magician and Season 10 finalist, instantly recognizable in his dragon suit.
Learn from an AGT champion
Shin Lim's visual card style is one of the most influential in modern magic. We carry instructional downloads from his The Vault series, including The Vault: Card Sleights, The Vault: ShinSplint 2.0, and The Vault: Shinag. These are for card magicians with some experience.
Magicians who have won Britain's Got Talent
| Series | Year | Magician |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 2016 | Richard Jones |
| 18 | 2025 | Harry Moulding |
Harry Moulding became only the second magic act to win BGT after KSI sent him straight to the final with the Live Show Golden Buzzer. He'd been performing magic since the age of 10.
BGT 2026
The 2026 series was won by The Hawkstone Farmer's Choir, but magic was still well represented: 17-year-old Rafferty Coope won his semi-final public vote with a musical style of magic and reached the live final.
Other BGT magicians to know
- Darcy Oake: the Canadian illusionist and BGT Series 8 finalist.
- Issy Simpson: the young magician who was runner-up in Series 11.
- Marc Spelmann ("X"): the mentalist who returned in disguise and finished runner-up in Series 13.
Penn & Teller: Fool Us
Fool Us works differently from the talent shows. There's no public vote. Magicians perform one trick for Penn & Teller, who see it once and must immediately work out how it was done. If they can't, the magician wins the Fool Us trophy and a trip to Las Vegas to open Penn & Teller's show at the Rio. The show has been hosted by Jonathan Ross, Alyson Hannigan, and Brooke Burke, and its eleventh season aired throughout 2025.
Many working magicians use Fool Us as a stamp of credibility. One of them, Felix Bodden, has appeared on the show and creates some of our most popular visual card magic, including In A Flash, one of our best-selling tricks of 2026.
What TV magicians have in common
- A clear identity. Shin Lim is silent and visual. Dustin Tavella tells stories. Piff is comedy. Judges reward a strong point of view.
- Visual moments. TV magic has to read instantly, even on a phone screen.
- Years of practice. Almost every TV magician started young and spent years performing before their big break.
Want to start your own journey? Read how to start learning magic as an adult or is card magic hard to learn?
Frequently asked questions
Has a magician ever won America's Got Talent?
Yes, three times: Mat Franco in Season 9 (2014), Shin Lim in Season 13 (2018), and Dustin Tavella in Season 16 (2021).
Who was the magician on AGT 2026?
Two magic acts reached the top three of AGT Season 21: magician Geno Ploeger finished second, and the Korean magic group Hundred Fingers finished third.
Has a magician won Britain's Got Talent?
Yes, twice: Richard Jones in 2016 and Harry Moulding in 2025.
What do you win on Penn & Teller: Fool Us?
Magicians who fool Penn & Teller win the Fool Us trophy and a trip to Las Vegas to open Penn & Teller's show.
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